Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has refuted ongoing allegations that a section of Members of Parliament (MP) were handed a Ksh2 million bribe by the state to pass the Finance Bill 2024 which sparked widespread protests over the past weeks.
Addressing a section of residents in Murang’a County on Saturday, June 29, 2024, the DP made it clear that the government did not dish out bribes to pass the contentious bill.
He insisted that contrary to the claims, the Kenya Kwanza government did not disburse any funds towards the aforementioned course and urged Kenyans to treat the allegations as rumours intended to taint the government’s and legislators’ names.
“I also want to confirm as deputy president, and as the deputy party leader of UDA sisi hakuna pesa tulitoa ati milioni mbili ya kupatia wajumbe, it is not true. Tusiharibie watu majina hakuna haja. Let us not castigate members of parliament ati walipewa pesa wapige kura. From where I seat, there was no such money..there is nothing like that, tafadhali tusiharibie wajumbe majina tupatie wajumbe wetu nafasi wafanye kazi,” Gachagua said.
At the same time, the country’s second-in-command called on Kenyans infuriated by their MP’s choice on the controversial bill which has since been withdrawn, to be fair to the lawmakers.
He noted that anyone disappointed by the MPs should wait for the upcoming General Election to unseat him/her. Additionally, Gachagua asked Kenyans to give more time to the lawmakers for them to execute their mandated roles and serve their constituents.
“I want us to be fair to the members of parliament, many of us were dissapointed with the way they voted here and there lakini sasa si mtakua na nafasi wakati wa uchaguzi, sai tuwapatie nafasi wafanye kazi. Nataka kuuliza watu wetu wote, especially from this region, hao wabunge wetu tuwapatie nafasi watufanyie kazi, hii maneno ya kuwatukana, kuharibu mali yao, kuwatisha hakuna haja, tuwasaidie,” he added.
Gachagua’s sentiments come amid widespread outrage and anger against MPs who voted ‘Yes’ to the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
To display their discontent, various constituents have taken to their representatives’ homes to show their dissatisfaction and disappointment in the MPs.